Ford Focus ST Test Drive Review
After three model generations, the Ford Focus finally gets the attention it deserves from the Malaysian motoring public. The first two model generations were excellent cars in their own right but were deemed unattractive packages by the Malaysian crowd. Superb driving dynamics were unfortunately obscured by a poor brand presence and uninspiring packaging.
It can be argued that the previous Focus failed in its presentation. Sit inside the cabin of a Mk II Focus, and we guarantee you will want to walk out within five seconds, so dated is its interior. The new third generation Focus fixes that shortcoming with an impressive array of bells and whistles, and further to light up the show, Ford has brought in a halo model of the Focus into Malaysia for the first time ever – the Focus ST.
 |
| Tangerine Scream is the Focus ST’s signature colour, but it’s not easy to maintain. |
The Test Car
Before we get started, it is essential to point out that the test car loaned to us for this review was a pre-launch demo unit with minor spec differences compared to the cars that will be offered to you folks. There are no mechanical differences, but WXL 316 here does not have the sunroof and bi-xenon headlamps that Sime Darby Auto Connexion has specified for Malaysia-spec STs. So, what you see here, is actually not quite as good as what you’ll get.
The Tangerine Scream paint job on our test car is the Focus ST’s communication colour, and in the flesh, it properly sets the ST apart from a regular Focus. Be warned, however, that this colour is not easy to maintain, as evidenced by the considerable effort expended by my neighbourhood car wash when I tried to have the car cleaned up. This is a colour that stains easily, so you’ll be well-advised to fork out a few extra bucks for a good auto-detailing job – or just opt for one of three other colours available.
One notable flaw in our test car is a bonnet-bumper shutline that is shockingly wide. Promotional pictures predictably mask this flaw, but search out a few reviews from foreign websites, and it won’t be long before one notices this to be the norm rather than an exception. Rectifying this issue should definitely be made a Priority One task for the facelift team.
 |
| Our test car had a very gaping shutline between bonnet and bumper. |
Specifications
It is something of a testimony to Ford’s excellent marketing work on the standard Focus that I was asked on more than one occasion whether is the car that parks itself. It does not, and that made explaining its RM208,888 price tag to the mainstream crowd rather difficult. Heck, our test car even does without parking sensors, but that is an omission that the Malaysia-spec ST thankfully does not have to endure.
Park Assist is just one of several USPs of the standard Focus that are not offered in the ST; Active City Stop and Blind Spot Information System are similarly omitted, but things that did make the cut are Ford SYNC with Voice Command, push button start, cruise control, 6 airbags, stability control, traction control, and a torque vectoring control system that is suitably enhanced from the standard model’s.
The beefed up electronics is less of a luxury and more of a necessity in the Focus ST’s case – letting 247hp and 350Nm flowing through the front wheels unchecked is, to put it mildly, asking for trouble. Indeed, as we would discover during our rain-soaked weekend with the car, Ford didn’t fully rein in the monster that lurks under the ST’s hood.
 |
| Front fascia is sharper and sleeker than the standard Focus. |
Driving Experience
Floor the ST off the line in first and second gear, there is a notable amount of torque steer communicated through its electrically assisted steering rack. Without the RevoKnuckle front suspension of the previous-generation RS, the ST’s electronics notably struggles to cope with the avalanche of torque that flows from the 2.0-litre EcoBoost mill sitting in the engine room.
Ease off just a little, however, and the ST is remarkably civilized. Although not quite matching the standard Focus’ comfort levels, the ST’s firmer ride is never jarring and decent enough to make a case as a daily driver. It is a surprisingly pliant ride – potholes barely register as a thump, but longer undulations can be a slight nuisance at speed. Still, another excellent effort from Ford’s chassis engineers.
 |
| 6-speed manual transmission shifts smoothly and precisely. |
The ST has a highly flexible character, exemplified by its engine, which seems to have instant torque on tap almost any rpm. If on a particular day, you find yourself feeling too lazy to row through the cogs; no problem, just don’t. Floor it in 6th gear from 1,500rpm, you’ll be surprised at just how briskly it pulls. Not that we advocate such an approach, it would be a waste not to enjoy the 6-speed manual shifter’s slick and precise shifts. However, this is also a car that can comfortably potter around at sub-2,000rpm all-day if you have to. Furthermore, it is also impressively refined – there isn’t much noise in the cabin until you gun the EcoBoost mill up front. Road and wind noises are convincingly muted.
Thus far we have highlighted the ST’s strengths in areas where one wouldn’t expect them – comfort, refinement, and quietness. But how does it perform in the all-important job of driving fast? Well, thanks to impressive outputs and upgrades to an already excellent chassis from the standard Focus, the Focus ST can be driven very fast with confidence and without fuss along straight lines and on the bends as well. High speed composure is excellent, and body roll when cornering is similarly well suppressed; both these traits conveying an impeccable sense of stability and balance when driving.
 |
Verdict
In a segment that includes the Renault Megane RS and Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Ford Focus ST makes a decent case for itself as a proper performance hot hatch. The very definition of a hot hatch is a plain hatchback with sports car-like performance but still able to satisfy mundane daily needs. The Golf GTI will probably remain as the segment’s benchmark, and truth be told, it still is the best all-rounder of the segment. The Megane RS’ focus, pardon the ironic pun, gives room for the Focus ST to step in and occupy the middle ground between the two.
Evaluated on its own merits, the Focus ST has a good mix of ingredients – powerful engine, slick-shifting gearbox, and well-sorted suspension – to give it an impressive breadth of ability at both ends of the spectrum. It is, of course, ultimately not as practical as a standard Focus, but it comes reasonably close to being so at one end, and at the same time, it excels as a fun-to-drive performance car at the other end.
 |
